Best Dividend Stocks of December 2017

The Best Dividend Stocks to Watch

The following "Best Dividend Stocks" list features Income Investors' favorite dividend ideas, thoroughly vetted and highly rated by our research team.

The stocks below have been hand-picked by our editors. Our five-point investment criteria identifies companies with safe payouts, growing earnings, and a long-term track record. The list is geared toward conservative buy-and-hold investors looking to put new money to work right now.

To be clear, every stock on this list is not appropriate for all investors. Our best dividend stocks list does not represent a complete portfolio. We recommend readers do their own research and consult a professional financial adviser before making any investment decision.

What We Look For

Timeless Business: We look for businesses that have stood the test of time. In some cases, the products that they make have remained almost unchanged for decades. Many of these stocks have been paying out dividends to shareholders for over 100 years.

Competitive Advantage: We look for companies with sustainable advantages. They have patents, powerful brands, irreplaceable assets, a low-cost advantage, or de facto monopolies. By sheltering their profits from competition, these firms can generate oversized margins decade after decade.

Management: We look for great executives who think beyond the next quarter. We want to own companies run by honest managers with above-average skill for allocating capital. We want people with unquestionable integrity, a frank communication style, and a long-term outlook.

Distribution Growth: We look for firms with a commitment to rewarding shareholders. Our best dividend stocks have raised their regular distributions for at least 25 consecutive years. Steady dividend increases signal that the company has a bright future and forces management to be careful when allocating capital.

Dividend Yield: We look for stocks with above-average dividend yields. A high payout suggests that a company might be temporarily out of favor with investors. Studies show that companies with the highest dividend yields tend to outperform the broader market over time.

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Robert Baillieul is Editor-in-Chief of Income Investors. He oversees a talented team of financial editors and analysts. Together, they scour the market to find the best income ideas for readers.

Robert is an advocate for a group of companies he calls his “Forever Assets.” Put simply, this is a group of stocks you can buy today and own for the rest of your life. These businesses have created wealth not just over weeks or years, but for generations.

When you own names like these, you no longer have to worry about inflation or bear markets. Many of these firms have paid dividends to shareholders for over a century. For this reason, some of the world’s wealthiest investors—including Bill Gates, George Soros, and Warren Buffett—hold these stocks in their portfolios.

Robert holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s University. Prior to joining Income Investors, he worked as a risk analyst at TD Securities. Robert’s common-sense investment commentary has been featured in a number of publications, including Slate, MarketWatch, and The National Post.

Jing Pan,, B.Sc., MA

Jing Pan is a research analyst and editor at Income Investors. His interests are in the fields of macroeconomics, technology, and currency. His major projects have included analyzing the relationship between the interpersonal trust index and economic performance, algorithmic trading in the foreign exchange markets, and the long-term impact of welfare programs.

Jing holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Science Degree, both from the University of Toronto.

Jing was co-founder of E-Learning’s Online Tutoring Service in Beijing, China; a project analyst at BMO Capital Markets; and a graduate research assistant at the University of Toronto.

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